In warehouses, manufacturing plants and retail outlets, it is often desirable to simultaneously transport a stack of items, such as cartons, boxes or bags. To facilitate the transport of numerous items, boxes, for example, are routinely stacked on a pallet and transported to a desired location by a fork-lift or pallet jack. The pallet load may be subsequently loaded onto a suitable vehicle such as a truck, trailer or railcar for more extended transport. In an effort to ensure the stability of such items on a pallet, during both intermediary and extended transport, a wrapping of some sort is routinely placed around the load. Contained within a secure wrapping, the load is more likely to remain positioned on the pallet as it is transported to a desired location.
Conventionally, wrapping was of a saran-type nature which was disposed after a single use. With the advent of the environmental age, reusable pallet wrappers have become increasingly popular and are rapidly serving to replace the saran-type disposable wrappers. U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,544 discloses a reusable pallet wrapper for securing loads of variable sizes on a pallet for transportation thereabout. The pallet wrapper of this invention is installed about a cluster of items with a series of straps and buckles such that the tension of the wrapper is evenly distributed across the width of the pallet. The straps and buckles are attached to reinforcing rods at two opposing ends of the pallet wrapper, and serve to reduce the problem of pressure points on the wrapped items and bulging of the wrapper material.
Pallet wrappers such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,544 employ standard strap and buckle connections or Velcro (trade mark) reinforcements to secure the wrapper around the pallet load. Velcro (trade mark) type connections have a tendency to loosen during transport and are devoid of a locking feature. Standard strap and buckle-type connections are tedious and time-consuming to employ, and often become disengaged during pallet wrapping and rough transport. In addition, existing strap and buckle-type connections are often damaged during the course of routine handling. In most commercial and industrial type settings, such as warehouses, manufacturing plants and retail outlets, time management is of critical importance and accordingly, fast, simple and secure pallet wrapping procedures are preferred.
In the wake of the transition from disposable, saran-type pallet wrappers to the more environmentally conscious, reusable-type, efforts have focused on improving the effectiveness, utility and durability of such reusable pallet wrappers.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a lockingly engageable buckle assembly.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a buckle assembly which can be quickly engaged in a locked connection and subsequently released therefrom.
An object of a preferred form of the present invention is to provide a buckle assembly which can be employed with a pallet wrapper to provide a secure engagement under conditions of rough handling and transport.